Robert Downey Jr. On The “Big Reward” of ‘The Judge’ Journey

Directed by David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers), The Judge features Robert Downey Jr. as Hank Palmer, a talented and jaded Chicago defense attorney who returns to his Indiana hometown after his mother passes.

Coming back home turns into a completely bittersweet process for Hank, who is more than happy to see his two brothers (Vincent D’Onofrio and Jeremy Strong). Relations with his father (Robert Duvall), however, are absolutely strained, and though they both share a lifelong dedication to the legal profession (Duvall is the judge), the pair refuse to meet each other halfway.

When the judge is accused of killing an ex-convict on his way home, Hank represents his dad in what one assumes is the most important trial of his life.

During The Judge press conference, Robert Downey Jr. talked about the reactions he’s received at various screenings of the movie:

“To me the audience is a cast member in The Judge . . . when people were reading the script or when Warner Bros. called us and said ‘this is special we really want to make it.’ Or as we’ve been having these screenings, people are saying, ‘Look, I know it’s called The Judge – but that’s my mom’ . . . The great thing for me is the dialogue that’s been going on with people who have just seen the movie – and that to me has been the big reward.”

To hear Robert Downey Jr. discuss the universality behind The Judge as well as collaborating with Robert Duvall (he appreciates that Duvall doesn’t use any acting tricks), click on the media bar below: